At Central, it is very easy for students to become involved and participate in things that they are passionate about. Allowing students to create their own clubs and have a leadership opportunity is a great example of this. Sophomore Leo Ray has shown this to be true by creating a psychology club during his freshman year.

As a freshman, Ray had very much wanted to continue his club that he had started in middle school. Because 9^th graders are not offered any psychology classes, being able to continue his passion for it was very helpful. Ray said, “I wanted to help those who were interested in it.”

The process to form one’s own club is fairly simple, mainly requiring finding a teacher to sponsor it. For this particular club, this was Mrs. Denton. After finding a teacher to sponsor the club, Ray then “talked to some friends who were willing to help, and it just went from there.”

The club is open to anyone who has an interest in psychology, although no prior knowledge is required. It is very much a learning environment. “It’s a really fun club; we always have very interesting, in-depth discussions about a wide range of topics,” Ray said.

For 10-12^th graders, there are a few psychology courses available to take. “I have taken Psychology with Mr. Shipman. I would recommend it because it’s very interesting and a lot of other classes actually reference popular studies of psychology,” Ray said.

“I am really interested in psychology because it is the reason why we are who we are. It is the study of a science that changes forever simply because we as humans do,” Ray said. Being able to learn about and understand parts of the human brain is a unique experience in itself, but doing it with peers as a collaborative group makes it all the more interesting.”

The club as a whole very much relies on teamwork and a personal interest in the topic. “Typically, in the meetings we plan on a topic beforehand and then we each do some research so we can then discuss it. We talk about different aspects, and often some personal opinions,” Ray said. Being able to acquire information from one’s peers can offer a different perspective on learning for some students.

Ray very much believes that clubs are an excellent way for students to get involved at school. “Clubs create a place for the students where they can learn things they’re interested in while not having to worry about being graded for it. They can just relax, hang out with friends and learn something new.”

Joining a club is an easy way for students to try something new, meet new people and overall gain a different experience. Ray said, “We’re just a group of friends who like to learn new things about the human brain and eat candy while doing it.”